Biden arrives in Poland

Mar. 18, 2014
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Vice President Biden in Poland / Alik Keplicz, AP

by David Jackson, USA TODAY

by David Jackson, USA TODAY

Correction: An earlier version misstated which countries share borders with Russia.

Vice President Biden arrived in Poland on Tuesday, starting a mission to reassure Eastern European nations that are anxious about Russia's moves to annex the Crimea region from Ukraine.

"The bedrock of our alliance remains collective self-defense," Biden said after meeting with Polish leaders.

Biden makes stops this week in Warsaw and Vilnius, Lithuania, to meet with the leaders of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Those four countries are also NATO allies of the United States.

During remarks in Warsaw, Biden said Russia's apparent takeover of Crimea is a "blatant violation of international law," and "nothing more than a land grab."

The Biden trip comes the same week that President Obama and allies levied sanctions on Russia over its actions in Crimea. The vice president said that additional sanctions are likely.

One of Biden's topics during the trip: Energy security in Europe.

Many nations receive energy supplies from Russia, and could suffer if Moscow retaliates with sanctions of its own. Biden said he is talking about new U.S. assistance so that energy supplies cannot be used as "a political weapon."

"In Warsaw and Vilnius, Biden will affirm the U.S. commitment to defending its NATO allies, which includes Poland and the three Baltic states but not Ukraine. A senior administration official said the vice president will discuss ways to strengthen the alliance so NATO emerges even stronger from the crisis, and will echo Obama by insisting that if Russia continues to flout international law, the costs will only increase.

"Biden will also discuss what additional steps the U.S. can take to shore up security for Poland and the Baltics, such as increased training, said the official, who wasn't authorized to comment by name and demanded anonymity.

"Also on the agenda: long-term energy security in Europe, a key factor that has confounded the West's attempts to display a united front in punishing Russia."